Walking aid



Jan. 23, 195n1 L Q KUHNEN 2,538,838

WALKING AID Filed Oct. 26, 1948 MHT "l #Rza-angry IN V EN TOR.

Y Patented Jan. 23, 1951 stesse UNITED STAT-ss retenir osmosi 7 Claims.

This 4invention .relates to devices primarily intended to `serve as a `waikingaid or exerciser for f-deiective, malformed or paralysis-aillictcd limbs,

:but which devices may be also .advantageously employed in the teaching offsports such vas-skiing, 'iceskatinfg-,snow shoe walking, etc.

Walking aids or exercising devices of the type indicated are known in the art. They usually consist of relatively heavily constructed ski-like members provided with means for accommodating andattaching .the feet of the patient, and aso are usually equipped with handle bars or hand supports arranged at the front part of their structures. The disadvantage of such devices having handle bars located 'directly in front of each ski member lies in the fact that when one 'of the .legs is moved forward, such as the left leg,

while the patients left hand :holds the handle bar in front of him, his left arm is caused to move forward simultaneously with his left leg. The same simultaneous forward movement of the right leg and of the rig-ht arm occurs when ythe right ski is advanced. VSuch simultaneous movements of the arms with the legs Vare contrary to the natural cooperative vmovement :of the limbs, that is, -a simultaneous vforward vmovement of the left foot with the right armrand the simultaneous movement of the right foot withV the left arm.

The `vdevice Yof the 4presen-t invention is Iintended to induce and to enforce the .-patients natural limb movements -as outlined above so `.that when his left leg moves forward his right farm will move forward also, and when the right :leg advances the left arm will Ado likewise. :In addition, the

device fcontemplates provisions for forcibly -guiding the movement of thelegs in parallel planes and to `limit .the 'movement of the limbs.

The prime object of this invention, therefore, `is `to provide a walking aid in the Vform of an Vexercising ski device composed of rightand left foot supports, wherein means Vare arranged for forcibly guiding these supports longitudinally to move in :parallel relation 'to one another, and which foot supports are equipped with handle bars so arranged -that `the handlebarof the left #fool-,support extendsforward and over the vfront end of the right :foot .supportgwhereas the handle rbarfof ythe right foot support crosses over and is -disposed above tthe .forward .end of :the left foot support.

Another object of this invention is :to 'provide the ski members `.of the vdevice with means .for

.limiting their `movement -in respect to one. an-

other.

A further object of this inventionis tojpitovide in connection with the ski members of the "device,

guided and adjustable foot accommodating i Fig. 1 is a perspective Avievv of :the device in its :presently preferred form;

Fig. 2 is atop view thereof with the;right-hand ski in lforward position; Fig. f3 vis a section-taken .approximately along line @-3 of rFig..2; l

Fig. 4 .is a top view of the device with .the left- -hand ski in `forward position;

Fig. 5 is a section ita'kenapproximately along line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately online 6--6 of Fig. 4 land Fig. 7 V'is :a typical 'vertical .cross vsection vrof Aa modified form of theiskis Referring :now .more specifically to the figures, the left-hand skiiis indi'catedat il), while numeral l l denotes the rightehandski. These skis are designed to cooperate with one another and comprise .horizontal portions or flanges l2 and vertical portions or {nan-ges i3 Aand I3 in adjavicency `with each ot'her. :Horizontal'anges l2 are `supported .by-outer and inner runners or rails Il.

.and alt', respectively, which are attached to the bottom faces of the lianges :inrany'suitable maniner. It vwill be .noted that :at the rear end of Vertical or :uprightgportion 1.3 `-.there is arranged afstop l5, the purposeof which will rbe explained presently.

`Fixedly secured to vertical flange 'i3 of .the left-'hand ski :are inverted 'U-shaped lfront and 'rear lguide members le `and. 16', the bent portions of which extending above the upper vedges of ver? v4tical flanges i3 :and 13', as at 16"'.

vThat bar is so constructed that its lower part extends. above the two .-vertical anges Y-l 3 'and i3' of the f skis :and passes .lover their .upperfedges., as

3 at I9, and continuous horizontally forward, as at 2B and 2|, and 'finally is directed upwards, so that its handle end, provided with a knob 22 made of rubber or other suitable material, is located above the front end of horizontal flange I2 of the right-hand ski II.

Secured near the front end of vertical ange I3 of right-hand ski Il is another rigid handle bar 23 which crosses over both upright flanges and extends above and over the horizontal flange of left-hand ski l0. The lower attached end 23 of handle bar 23 is bent at 25. From that bend extends a horizontal portion 26, which latter is bent upward at 21 into the vertical part of the bar. Bend 25 is so curved that the vertical portion of bar 23 is located above the forward end of left ski Ii). The attached vertical portion 24 of bar 23 serves as front stop for the frontal guide member I6, whereas the aforementioned stop I at the rear end of vertical ange I3 provides a back stop for rear guide member I5'.

Secured to the top faces of both horizontal flanges I2 of the skis are semi-loops 23 made either of rubber, leather, canvas or any other suitable material. These semi-loops serve for accommodating the front portions or toes of the patients foot.

At the rear end of the skis there are provided adjustable blocks 2S having heel-accommodating recesses 30. Blocks 29 are preferably slotted at 3I to accommodate bolts 32, engaged by wing nuts 33, by means of which latter blocks 29 are held in adjusted position. In order to guide the blocks in parallel relation to vertical flanges I3 and I3 of the skis there are provided in horizontal flanges I2 two offset slots 34, see Figs. 4, 5; and 6, into which slots extend studs 35 projecting from the lower faces of blocks 29. Blocks 29 are provided with adjustable straps 35 which serve for fastening the skis to the feet.

Modification in Figs. 1 to 6, with the exception that the rails or runners Ilia and Ilia' are hollow and of a substantially C-shaped cross section.

Operation The use of the present device and its function is relatively simple. The toes of the users feet are slipped into semi-loops 28, whereupon blocks 29 are adjusted so that the heels firmly fit into recesses 3i?. Now straps 33 are fastened about the ankles of the feet.

The user grips knobs 22 of the vertical handle portions and the device and the user are thus ready for walking or otherwise exercises. When the right foot advances to the full-line position shown in Fig. 2, handle 23 gripped by the left hand causes that hand and arm to move forward also. When the left foot and ski advance, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, handle I3, gripped by the right hand, causes the forward movement of that hand and arm. The successive, alternate forward movements of the left and right skis are indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 in broken lines.

Conclusion From the above description of the device and its use, it will be seen that the walking aid, cornprising right and left foot supports with handles extending from the right foot support over the left foot support, and from the left foot support over the right foot support, induces coordinate natural movements of the lower limbs with the upper limbs, that is when the left foot advances, the right arm is caused to move forward, and when the right foot advances, the left arm is forced to swing forward. In that manner unnatural action of the upper limbs in respect to the movement of the lower limbs are avoided, whereby the training of an afflicted patient is greatly facilitated in that the limbs are forced by the present device to follow their natural movements.

The device as illustrated and described presents only one of the many possible forms in which the walking aid may be constructed. When the device is to be employed for uses other than those of aiding in the exercises of aiicted limbs, changes and improvements may become necessary, such as the lengthening of the skis and refinements in the foot supports, without departing from the basic principle of the invention of providing the skis with handles so arranged as to forcibly induce a coordinate, natural movement of the hands and arms with the movement of the feet. Obviously such changes and improvements reside within the broad scope of this invention as denned in the annexed claims.

I claim:

l. A walking aid comprising right and left foot supports provided with adjacent vertical guide iianges, each support having a rigid handle, the handle of each foot support extending over both guide flanges and over the other foot support and guide means in cooperation with said guide flanges for keeping the supports in parallel relation to each other.

2. The combination with left and right foot supports having upright guide flanges, of a rigid handle provided with and extending upwardly from each of the supports, the handle of the left foot support crossing the upright flanges and extending over the right foot support, the handle of the right foot support also crossing the upright anges and extending over the left foot support and guide means in cooperation with said guide flanges for keeping the supports in parallel relation to each other.

3. In a walking aid, two cooperating foot supports, each support being composed of horizontal and vertical anges, the vertical anges being forcibly guided in respect to one another, each support having a rigid handle extending upwardly along its vertical flange and having a substantially horizontally disposed portion which crosses over the vertical flanges of both supports and terminates above the horizontal flange of the other support, and a vertical handle portion projecting upwardly from the terminus of that horizontally disposed portion and guide means in cooperation with said guide flanges for keeping the supports in parallel relation to each other.

4. In a walking aid, two cooperating left and right foot supports, each support comprising horizontal and vertical flanges, means provided with the vertical flanges of the supports for guiding the latter in respect to one another, and other means arranged with the vertical flanges foi` limiting their movement relative to one another, each support having a substantially vertically disposed rigid handle, the handle of the left support extending over the horizontal flange of the right support and the handle of the right support extending over the horizontal iiange of the left support.

5. In a walking aid, two cooperating left and right foot supports having adjacent guide anges, a substantially vertical rigid handle provided with each support and having a crossing portion locating it over the other foot support, means for guiding the guide anges in substantially a parallel movement relative to one another, and stop means` provided with the guide anges for limiting that movement.

6. In a Walking aid, a pair of cooperating left and right footsupports adapted for movement in closely adjacent parallel relation to one another, each support comprising horizontal and vertical elements, the latter elements having guide means for keeping the supports in adjacency while either still or moving, and stop means for limiting their relative movement, antifriction supporting rails at the bottoms of the horizontal elements, and rigid,'upwardly directed handles extending from both supports and crossing from one support over the horizontal element of the other support.

7. In a walking aid, a pair of cooperating left and right foot supports adapted for movement in closely adjacent parallel relation to one another, each support comprising horizontal and vertical Y port across the vertical elements of both sup- 2d Number ports and terminating with their ends a substantial distance above the horizontal element of the other support.

JOAN C. KUHNEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Travler Dec. 4, 1934 Cunningham May 30, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date YGreat Britain Nov. 13. 1934 Number 

